Rare editions of Shakespeare's work in Archives and Special Collections

Want to see the first published collection of William Shakespeare’s plays?

You don’t have to go to Washington, D.C.’s Folger Shakespeare Library to do it. It’s only steps away.

The Robert D. Farber Archives and Special Collections Shakespeare collection includes, among other gems, a rare First Folio edition of Shakespeare’s works from 1632. It was donated in 1961 by Allan Bluestein, a member of the philanthropic club, the Brandeis Bibliophiles.

Other fascinating editions from the Renaissance through the early 20th century can also be found in the archives thanks mainly to the Baldwin Shakespeare Collection, acquired through Ruth M. Baldwin of the Baldwin Library, University of Florida.